Stolen car alert: 1955 Studebaker President

Hemmings Nation, it’s time to keep your eyes peeled again. Karen Franco asked us to spread the word about the 1955 Studebaker President State four-door sedan that was recently stolen out of a locked garage in Rancho Cordova, California, and that belonged to her father, Stan Hanenkratt, who died this past May at the age of 89. She wrote:

Stan was my father and a long long time member of the Studebaker Drivers Club, Corvair club and, I think, the Kaiser club. Anyway, at 89 years old, he passed away this May 30th. He was still attending the clubs’ meets and loved his old cars! He had kept his 1931 Studebaker that took him 40 years to restore and a 1955 President that he also fully restored. He also had so many many friends and acquaintances that he was known as “Stan the Studebaker man” anyway, I miss him terribly and the thought that some thief is driving around or, worse yet, chopping up my dad’s car makes me sick.

As you can see from the photos she included, the Studebaker is white over turquoise and wears California plates EHH 525. Its VIN is 7808209. Anybody with information on the whereabouts of the car should call the Rancho Cordova Police Department at 866-870-2441.

UPDATE (18.January 2012): Karen wrote in to let us know that the Studebaker has since been recovered and sold to another Studebaker enthusiast. Thanks for your diligence, readers!

Jack Allen Harringtosays:

August 8, 2011 9:23 am

Jasonsays:

August 27, 2011 2:36 pm

I totally agree. Stealing other people’s property is never a good thing to do. I’ve had that happen more times than I can count. I just hope whoever stole the Studebaker returns it in one piece. It’s a beautiful looking car. I love the two tone colour combination.

Steve Davissays:

August 8, 2011 9:51 am

David Conwillsays:

August 8, 2011 9:54 am

This is a beautiful car, and I love it. That being said, ’55 Studebaker four-door sedans, even in this nice of condition, can’t be worth all that much, and would be hard to flip or part out. So I have to ask “Why was this stolen?”

Donlarsays:

August 8, 2011 11:44 am

Obviously you must be of the “new generation” of “classic car lover” who are more concerned with BUYING the rarest or most popular “ready-restored” car, rather than appreciate the 40 years this man put into restoring these cars. I am sure he did not buy either one from a “Classic Car Dealer”!

Dave in NMsays:

August 8, 2011 1:16 pm

C’mon guys…..play nice. We’re all car guys! Or do you consider rat rodders,lowriders and riceburners beneath you also? Some folks are lucky enough to have the resources to not have to get dirty.. A friend won a BIG lottery and had built an incredible ’40 Ford sedan because he wasn’t a mechanic or gifted in that end of it. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t love it. Buy it, build it or inherit it…what’s the difference? As far as the car being for sale, I sold my Grandmother’s ’70 Impala because it had only 28K and found a fellow with storage and the ability and time to care for it. The Stude was stolen because some bottom feeder owed his meth connection a hundred bucks……a neighbor put a perfectly good sofa on the curb with a “free” sign and it sat for a week. He changed the sign to $50 and it was gone overnight! Go figure…value is in the perception!

Mike M.says:

August 9, 2011 2:14 am

Donlar:

My thoughts were also on the lines of David Conwill… I own a 1957 Chevy Bel-Air 4 door sedan that my dad bought new, and I grew up in, and although I appreciate the past efforts that I have put into my 4 door sedan, I was kinda thinking like David Conwill, why would someone steal a 4 door sedan, especially of that style, make and model, which would be harder to flip or part out. It would not get top dollar, albeit, it is a very nice car, just as my 57 Chevy is. If I wanted to risk a felony grand theft auto on my criminal record, it would not be something for the theft of that style, make, and model. I can understand the grief of getting a family heirloom such as this car stolen, especially when the owner was a family member, and recently passed…I hope it gets recovered and returned to the rightful owner.

curtis tsays:

July 4, 2013 8:47 pm

Orvillesays:

August 8, 2011 9:55 am

Hopefully this will be found.

I support harsh sentences for criminals. Many crimes would be reduced if the criminals faced harsh prison sentences. I like the idea of work camps where the prisoners spend their days turning big rocks into smaller ones.

By the way, this is why that I am happy to serve on jury duty when the opportunity arises. I don’t care about self-esteem and worrying about how the criminals mother feels. As a victim of a violent crime I have no problem seeing that the guilty is punished.

jww1949says:

August 8, 2011 9:57 am

It amazes me how anyone could break into this garage – in an obviously residential area – and steal the car without being seen. The neighbors had to know that the house was unoccupied after the owner’s death (an assumption on my part) and any activity there should have been suspicious. My father-in-law’s house sat empty for almost two years until we recently found a buyer. Anytime we were there at night doing anything, we would get a call from one of the neighbors making sure it was us in the house.

don harriersays:

August 8, 2011 10:14 am

Dave The Corvair Guysays:

August 8, 2011 11:13 am

Don Harrier is right – please look for a Stude that looks bad but the body is straight. I had an elderly friend of mine who’s ’65 Corvair Monza convertible was stolen. The idiots who stole it tried to sell it to a local Corvair Parts Vendor that knew the car. It was a bright yellow that had been spray painted semi-flat black – the kind from a spray can. The thief also had taken the convertible top off and tried to sell that. Ultimately, we found the car and thief and introduced him to the local police department. I belive he is still in jail. I spent an afternoon reinstalling the convertible top. My friend was lucky, he got to drive his car for several years after before he passed away.

So, lesson to be learned here – put a club on your car’s steering wheel and disconnect the ignition coil. You want a car that is more difficult to trouble shoot, so the theif will look for something else.

I’ll be looking for a straight body Stude that sports now a bad paint job.

Jim Hsays:

August 8, 2011 11:25 am

jww1949says:

August 8, 2011 11:56 am

I hadn’t thought about the for sale sign. I would start looking at anyone who may have expressed interest in the car or anyone who might have come to look at it. I have heard of that happening before. The thief checks out something advertised as a legitimate buyer, and then comes back later to help himself.

KAREN HANENKRATTsays:

May 28, 2013 8:29 pm

It makes me mad to think that just because I had a For Sale sign you question my sentiment? try having your world turned upside down and deaing with a dying family members entire estate in the blink of eye! I had no choice financially or otherwise but to sell some of dad’s assets to pay for his funeral, hospice, etc! You do what you have to when life happens! sure I wish I could keep everything he kept dear to his heart but I just couldnt……..

GL Mercersays:

August 8, 2011 11:44 am

Seeing the for sale signs, guess I would begin looking at ones that came to look at car to buy it, since they would be able to see how they could break in to garage. My question also, is if car means so much to daughter, and to deseased father, WHY IS IT BEING SOLD??

Dan in Misssourisays:

August 8, 2011 12:59 pm

The “For Sale” sign could well mean that she hoped to sell the car to someone who would care for the car like her Dad did; it doesn’t mean she didn’t care for the car.
We shouldn’t judge with no information.

John in Tallahasseesays:

August 8, 2011 1:27 pm

Bertsays:

August 8, 2011 1:07 pm

Dave presents an interesting topic for discussion. How do we protect our cars from thieves? You don’t know who I am or what I drive on sunny days so I’ll tell you my secret. I remove the rotor. I have a distributor cap that is easily removed and reinstalled. Thieves can’t see that it’s missing.

I know there are ways to steal a car without a running engine but it takes more effort. What about the rest of you? I could use more ideas and we could all benefit.

jww1949says:

August 8, 2011 2:02 pm

jww1949says:

August 8, 2011 3:15 pm

My grandfather hid a battery disconnect switch up under the dash on his 1949 Dodge back in the day. When he passed away in the 1970’s and the family sold the car, it had to be towed to a garage and then it took them several more days to figure out why it wouldn’t start.

Paulsays:

September 10, 2011 3:34 am

Club lock on the steering wheel (or chain and padlock the steering wheel to the pedals), wheel clamps, disable the ignition, a hefty anchorage cemented into the garage floor (or the driveway) with an equally hefty chain attached to it and lock the chain to part of the suspension with a good quality padlock. If the car is used infrequently then remove a wheel (or two!) and lock them away. Any one or more methods is worthwhile. Anything that causes a thief to use up a lot of time trying to steal a car will deter the best of them. Thieves ALWAYS want to get what they want and get out in the shortest possible time, whether it’s car theft, house burglary or bank robbery, so if you create several obstacles for them they will nearly always give up. A reliable alarm on the car AND the garage also go a long way to making sure the car stays in your possession. One useful system is an ignition cut-out. A friend of mine (a prior victim of car theft) fitted an old-fashioned headlight dipper switch under the carpet near the clutch pedal, modified to be on only when it was depressed, and he hooked that into the starter circuit. Hold it down to start the car, but if you don’t the starter doesn’t work! Hidden under the carpet, it could never be found by a thief looking for any cut-out devices, very simple and very effective.

Pete Madsensays:

August 8, 2011 1:27 pm

Vette Tomsays:

August 8, 2011 3:19 pm

My best guess on how it could be stolen in a locked garage and apparently looking safe neighborhood would be the person or persons knew the activity and schedules around there. Neighbors,club members, that’s a good start to check out.Hopefully,
in the long run it wasn’t who did steal the car.

GL Mercersays:

August 8, 2011 3:24 pm

I didn’t mean to judge the lady – I guess my post come from my kids who are in their 40s to 5o yrs old. They don’t look at my collection of 3 cars for enjoyment I get from them, only what they are worth. Personally I’m planning on leaving mine to someone who will appreciate them as I do

lOSTINTHE50Ssays:

August 8, 2011 5:17 pm

This should be posted on all car websites and all car lovers should be on the lookout at every car show or check sites with parts for sale. I know there are thousands of car junkies out there. Spread the word. Society today is on a downhill slide, certain people will steal from there own parents so this does not surprise me. Drugs have become the norm in life, stealing is one way to pay for them.

william bradysays:

August 8, 2011 11:44 pm

Some silly remarks here, classics of every type are worth more than $’s to most car people. What troubles me here is that in Southern Cal there have been a number of similiar break-ins. I have a client who had two beautiful cars a 57 Chevy (it can be seen on our website) she lives in a good area on a large property and the cars were always covered and locked in separate garages. She loves her cars particularly the Bel air convertible. The thieves entered the [property, broke open the garage and cut through the steering wheel lock. They knew what they wanted, when to do it and where to take it.This is a very well organized group and we should all consider it could be us next.

Ron Fordsays:

August 9, 2011 12:06 am

Why doesn’t everyone with anything of value have a monitored alarm system in their home and garage? My system cost $1500 and $22 per month; a cheap price for piece of mind. I also have a big fence, a big dog, and a big gun.

Erik Minersays:

August 9, 2011 2:59 pm

I had two muscle cars stolen last year and the feeling is sickening. (both recovered.)
Why judge owner based on the type of car or if it was for sale? The car was STOLEN, taken by someone that did not own it. Please pass the word and keep a look out for the car. Thanks Hemmings for publishing these alerts.

"DOC" Dave in Ocalasays:

August 9, 2011 7:47 pm

I know its a long shot but I’ll be looking here in Central Florida
checkin’ the shows and passin’ the word around. People in Daytona,
Tampa & Orlando area pass the word around. I’m about done with these groups of low lifes screwin’ around with other peoples stuff!!!

Fredsays:

August 12, 2011 1:19 pm

Daniel Strohlsays:

August 12, 2011 3:55 pm

barry brillsays:

August 15, 2011 8:41 pm

I noticed the for sale sign in the window. I would look closely at anyone who may have expressed an interest in the car. They will often times case the situation i.e. garage security, homeowners schedule etc.. before making a move.